Information about night terrors in children

We all know the childhood tale of the Sandman who comes to sprinkle magic dust in children’s eyes to settle little sleepy heads. If only it were so easy! Like adults, children’s sleep patterns can be influenced by a variety of things such as diet, anxiety, activity levels and the events of the day. Because their emotional sides are very sensitive they may also experience dreams which are much more vivid than those of adults. Furthermore, the distinction between fact and fantasy is more blurred for young children and this can make it difficult to understand that dreams are not ‘real’. As a result, some nights can be quite hectic for little ones and their parents!

Nightmares are a normal part of childhood and if they are infrequent or occur during understandably distressing life events – they are generally not something to be concerned about. Most children grow out of their nightmares, however, if any of the following apply to your child you may consider consulting your health care practitioner or psychologist:

If the nightmares seem to be getting worse or happening more often;

If night time fears start to interfere with daytime activities and regularly disrupt sleep patterns;

If the nightmares persist 6 months after a traumatic experience and occur with other post-traumatic stress symptoms;

If your child seems increasingly anxious at all times;

If your child shows any signs of jerking, stiffening or drooling. This may indicate a seizure rather than a nightmare;

If you feel that excessive family stress may be a factor;

If you have any other fears, questions or concerns about your child’s nightmares.

Nightmares (especially very traumatic ones) are sometimes confused with night terrors. While they are in fact very similar, they do have distinct differences. Nightmares occur during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep (also known as dream sleep) which is more common towards the later part of the night or early hours of the morning. This differs from night terrors which occur during slow wave sleep or deep sleep. This deep sleep state tends to take place about 90 minutes into sleep and so night terrors generally occur in the early hours of the night.

Another difference is that a child having a nightmare will often wake up and have a memory of the bad dream. Children waking from a nightmare may be able to tell you vivid details of what had scared them and may even be too scared to go back to sleep or go to bed the following night. On the other hand, a child having a night terror is generally only aware of the panic and feelings of fear and very little else. The fear is usually not accompanied by a feared situation or object (as in a nightmare) because it occurs during a dream-less state, and once the child goes back to sleep, he or she often doesn’t remember anything the next morning. Thrashing movements and screaming is fairly common during a night terror, while markedly uncommon during a nightmare..

The natural way

There is much that can be done to support healthy sleep patterns, sweet dreams and peaceful nights in children. Make sure you follow a consistent night time routine and avoid rich, heavy meals or foods high in sugar or stimulants at night. Keep the bedroom calm and peaceful with no rough and tumble games or dramatic frightening TV programs to disturb your child’s emotional equilibrium. Research has shown that children who watch scary movies at night are prone to nightmares. Rather read a sleepy bedtime story before tucking your little angel up in bed – it will benefit both a peaceful night as well as provide an excellent bonding experience for parent and child (and who knows, you may also get to fall asleep naturally!)

How can Good Dream Sprinkles help?

Nightmares and night terrors can be difficult to manage in the middle of the night, when parents and children are tired and little ones are difficult to console. Always there to help when you need it, Natural Kids have developed Good Dream Sprinkles - a gentle, yet effective, natural remedy which will help to settle your child after the occasional nightmare or night terror, while also helping to restore healthy sleep patterns in the child who suffers from frequent night time disturbances.

Natural Kids Good Dream Sprinkles contain a combination of gentle yet effective ingredients that are traditionally used to provide comfort and to settle your little one in times of fear and anxiety. Safe and easy to administer, the pleasant tasting granules of Good Dream Sprinkles are sprinkled on the tongue and rapidly absorbed in the mouth to provide immediate relief to your child. Good Dream Sprinkles are pleasant tasting and fine enough to be taken even by babies and small children, many of whom come to associate the taste with comfort and security.

Good Dream Sprinkles are especially formulated to offer immediate comfort to your child and to promote an easy return to normal, healthy sleep. They may also be used preventatively for children with chronic and frequent nightmares or night terrors.

Good Dream Sprinkles contain a combination of herbal and homeopathic ingredients that are 100% safe and natural. Like all Feelgood Health products, Good Dream Sprinkles have been developed with care by our practising Clinical Psychologist, and are manufactured according to the highest pharmaceutical standards. Individual ingredients are well-researched and have been specially chosen for their high safety profile in children’s remedies.

Ingredients

Good Dream Sprinkles contain the following carefully chosen herbal and homeopathic ingredients in therapeutic dosages:

Aconite (30C) is a proven homeopathic remedy that is traditionally used to alleviate sudden fears, anxiety and restlessness resulting from frights and traumatic experiences. Aconite is particularly effective when taken at the onset of the distress.

Kali Phos (6C) is a homeopathic remedy that is used to relieve anxiety and uncertainty and is especially useful in cases of a sudden fright, commonly experienced by the child who has a nightmare.

Nat. Sulph. (6C), a gentle yet effective biochemic tissue salt, will soothe fear and insecurity and clear confusion. Nat. Sulph. is particularly suited to children who are easily startled and frightened.

Passiflora Incarnata (Passion Flower) is widely used as a natural calmative. Passiflora will relieve nervous restlessness and soothe stress and anxiety. The relaxing properties of Passiflora encourage rest and promote healthy sleep as part of the natural recovery process.

Matricaria Recutita (Chamomile) has been used since the time of the Ancient Egyptians as a relaxing nervous system tonic that aids restful sleep. German chamomile is traditionally used to calm frayed nerves and anxiety The mild, natural sedative action of German Chamomile makes it a particularly useful herb for night time use.

Sucrose (inactive ingredient)

How have Good Dream Sprinkles helped others?

No mother should be without this remedy. It is the only way I can get my children back to sleep after a bad dream. Aside from that I used Good Dream Sprinkles regularly over two weeks for my 4 year old daughter and she is no longer having as many terrors as before. Sleep is returning to our house!” - Gloria J

“My wife normally writes these kind of things but I felt I had to let you know, from a dad’s point of view, how great your Good Dream Sprinkles are. They really, really work. My wife and I are up much less at night and everyone is much happier the next day. It is so great to feel like a happy family again.” - Very grateful father

“My son is three and a half and the first time he had a night terror I panicked. I didn’t know what was going on. He suddenly woke up screaming and crying and nothing I did seemed to calm him down. I felt so useless and powerless as a mother. For the first time ever he didn’t seem to know me or want me. A friend recommended Good Dream Sprinkles to me and I am so glad she did. I wasn’t sure at first but bought them anyway. Two days later Sam woke screaming again and I gave him the sprinkles. I could not believe how well they worked. He seemed to calm down almost immediately and was fast asleep again in less than 15 minutes. Previously it took over half an hour to get him back to sleep. I can’t thank you enough for this fantastic product.” - Mrs J Halkett

How do I use Good Dream Sprinkles?

Directions:

Simply sprinkle a small pinch of Good Dream Sprinkles into your child's mouth where they will easily dissolve. Good Dream Sprinkles are pleasant tasting and most children and babies will enjoy them!

Directions:Acute: Sprinkle a generous pinch onto the tongue when needed. May be repeated in 10 - 15 minutes if necessary.Preventative: Sprinkle a generous pinch onto the tongue before bedtime. May be repeated during the night if necessary.

Caution:The natural ingredients in Good Dream Sprinkles have a high safety profile and are well tolerated without side effects. However, due to their sensitive systems, Good Dream Sprinkles are not recommended for babies under 3 months unless under medical supervision.

Note: Always consult a doctor or health professional if you are concerned or need advice about your child's health or if the problem persists. Keep this and all medicines out of reach of children.

Disclaimer:This medicine has not been evaluated by the Medicines Control Council. This medicine is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness.